


you hide in your garden (but you are not alone)

by authoressjean



Series: the changed future [15]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: And a tiny bit of moving the plot along, Bilbo gets a garden, F/M, Gen, M/M, So this is just random fun, this is all eaivalefay's fault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-13
Updated: 2013-11-13
Packaged: 2018-01-01 08:31:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1042620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authoressjean/pseuds/authoressjean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 'to rule the fate of many', one year after the final battle.</p><p>Bilbo gets his garden, his own secret grove, and dutifully begins planting.</p><p>Except that it's not so secret. And everyone wants to stop by.</p><p>And this is supposed to be a SECRET.</p><p>One-shot. Can be read without the series (please see A/N at the beginning!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	you hide in your garden (but you are not alone)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. Long time no write.
> 
> This is eaivalefay's doing, so blame her. She started talking about Bilbo having a garden and I agreed but that everyone would start barging in while he was trying to garden and it would be hilarious. So. Have disgruntled!hobbit with well-meaning but interrupting!dwarves.
> 
> If you want to read this as a one-shot: Bilbo lives in Erebor with the dwarves and is married to Thorin. They've been together for about eleven years at this point. There was a great battle. People died, but not Thorin or Fili or Kili. And now Bilbo has a garden.
> 
> Also, Esmeralda Took got swept along on the adventure after her husband Saradoc died (shhh) but she still wound up pregnant with his little one. And now we have Merry. And Esmeralda and Bofur are at the cuddling, dating stage. Because Bofur and a Took are cute.
> 
> Continue.

“A garden?”

“Every hobbit has a garden,” Esmeralda agreed. From beneath her hands, Merry giggled again. “Every respectable hobbit, that is. Even if it’s just a small herb garden, those can be surprisingly easy to maintain if you do other things like- Merry! Stay _still_!”

Merry had no intention of doing so. Merry had _every_ intention of reaching for his little toes while Esmeralda tried in vain to put his tiny trousers on.

Kili snickered, not even concerned at the glare Esmeralda shot him. “You could help, you know,” she said, scowling. “It’s not as easy as it looks.”

“No, it’s not,” Dis said. “Getting _this_ one into clothing after a bath was nearly impossible,” and she jerked her head towards Fili.

“ _Mother_!”

“And getting _that_ one,” with a nod towards Kili, even as Fili buried his face in his hands, “into the bath to begin with was nothing short of impossible. And once he was in, well. That was where the real trouble started.”

Kili went scarlet. Legolas suddenly looked _very_ interested in the story, as did Dernwyn. Fili looked as if he were happy to embellish, if just to take the story off of him, and Bilbo quickly set his tea down. “Yes, a garden,” he said. “And I have just the place for it.”

“Not outside the mountain,” Dori said with a furrowed brow. “That little place that Thorin spoke of?”

“He told you where it was?” Bilbo demanded. Of all the nitty things to do…

“Just that it was on the side of the mountain, and that you were, well, frankly, touched in the head. He’d rather somewhere else.”

“He’s not a hobbit,” Esmeralda said, and she slid the trousers on with a triumphant crow. Merry just giggled and blew her bubbly kisses. “I think wherever you’ve found is lovely. Is this going to be a secret grove of sorts, then? Do you have dirt?”

“It is, and I do.” And Bilbo was looking forward to it. It was quite a bit of space, actually, and the mountain was so green from that side that no one was going to see him from afar. And no one had found the little entry from the archway, so he was quite content that this would be his space and his alone. The only people who had been there thus far were Dril and Hril, delivering huge mounds of dirt that he’d begun sprawling out all over the rock. “Bombur promised me a few seeds from Dale to start, and King Bard has some plants he’s sending over.”

Legolas nodded, eyes a bit distant as he thought. “Would you like some of the flora from the forest? There are several that grow well in this climate, and more still that would do well upon stones.”

Bilbo brightened considerably. “Yes, actually, that would be lovely. Thank you, Legolas.”

The elf gave a nod. Then, after a pause and a sly glance at his husband, he continued, “Though I would prefer to hear more about this childhood tale before I go.”

“Right, we’ll get them, and we’ll bring them,” Kili said in a rush, grabbing Legolas and hauling him out the door. “See you later!”

“I think I should go with them, just to help,” Fili began, but Dis caught him by the arm and hauled him back to his seat.

“You should _not_. I can tease him, because I’m his mother, and I’m the one who helped wrangle him into the tub every time. I also helped wrangle _you_ into clothing when you’d rather have worn nothing but your skin,” she warned. Fili’s face twisted into a grimace.

“Right. Point made.”

“You know, _I_ wouldn’t mind hearing more about this,” Dernwyn began, and Fili quickly rose from his seat again.

“I should help Uncle, truly, with, something. Something, most certainly something.” And then he was gone, leaving them staring amused in his wake.

Esmeralda let out a sigh once Merry’s trousers were done up and finished, even as he kept playing with the hairs on his feet. “ _There_. Honestly, you’d think it wouldn’t be that hard to put his trousers on. Of course, with some men, they still have trouble keeping the trousers on, once they’re full grown.”

“ _Esse_!”

Esmeralda waved off Bilbo’s scandalized cry. “Oh please. I’m not a little one anymore, I’m fully aware of how things happen. Merry came about because of-“

“And that’s _quite_ enough of that,” Bilbo cut in, slamming his tea back like a good whiskey. Dernwyn was red but grinning from ear to ear while Dori fussed with the tea cup in front of him, scowling at Esmeralda. Dis just shrugged and went back to the careful metal-work she was currently engrossed in.

“But on the side of the mountain?” Dori finally asked once he was quite certain Esmeralda was done. “Really?”

“It’s stable, Thorin had the miners _and_ the masons check. It’s perfectly secure, and actually wraps around the mountain for a ways. It’ll be lovely.” And a piece of quiet and solitude, when he needed it. With all the dwarves coming in and out of the royal chambers these days, it would be nice to have a place that was all his that no one knew about, and if they did, they’d be sworn to Complete Secrecy.

And really, hobbits were meant to have gardens. Bilbo had always gone down to Dale to help when he felt the urge for a green thumb, but now that everything was settled around the region, and Mirkwood was coming along so nicely, and the Shire had been so green and beautiful and reminded him of how much he missed certain things, well. A garden of his own was perfect.

There was absolutely no way this could go wrong.

 

“Not much here, is there?”

Bilbo glanced up at the voice. Dwalin looked highly unappreciative, glancing about almost disdainfully.

He scowled at the dwarf. “There is _plenty_ here already. Laying down a foundation of soil is important if you’re going to actually plant something. I’ve been out here for days.”

Dwalin still didn’t look impressed. “Not very secretive either,” he said, and Bilbo sighed, sitting up from where he’d been kneeling. His fingers were covered in dirt, but it felt _good_ to be out here in the green again, in the dark, rick soil and the fresh air. Even if looking over the edge sometimes made him dizzy. He’d dropped from over the gates once, to reach the battle going on below. He wasn’t quite at gate height – he knew because he could see the top of the gates just around the corner of the mountain – but he was still a decent amount off the ground.

And how was this not secretive? “Why is it not a secret?” he demanded. “No one knows where this is.”

“We all know,” Dwalin said, still looking around. Bilbo crossed his arms.

“Thorin told you.”

“The Guard all know about it, laddie. And then the Guard gossiped. We’re simply leavin’ you be.”

 _Damn_ them all. “Then you can continue to leave me be,” he said. “There are plenty of other things you’d probably rather be doing than watching me apparently _not_ do a great deal of work.”

Dwalin rolled his eyes. “You really don’t have a lot of things out here,” he finally said. Apparently he wasn’t leaving just yet. “Could use some plants over there, by the edge.”

“I, ah, well. Not really certain I want to go over there. It being the edge and all. No, I’ll be fine planting on this part. Next to the mountain.” Where it was much safer.

But Dwalin was peering at the edge now, as if thinking a deep thought over. He finally gave a half nod and seemed to settle something with himself. “All right,” he said, and then he was gone.

Bilbo blinked and stared at the archway, where he’d just been. “What was _that_ about?” he murmured under his breath. He wasn’t entirely certain why the dwarf had come out here anyway, and then to up and vanish?

Well, he was gone, at least, which meant Bilbo could get back to gardening. Hopefully without any further interruptions. There were seeds to plant and more soil to till. And he had to have it done within the next few hours so he could meet Thorin for supper.

 

The next interruption didn’t come until the next day, when Dwalin returned, but this time with Nori right beside him, and Ori behind him. At least, Bilbo was fairly certain that was Ori. It was hard to see, behind all that green foliage.

And what in the world were they _doing_?

“What even _is_ that?” Bilbo asked incredulously. They were the tallest, leafiest plants he’d ever seen, and if it hadn’t been for the green stalks that sent long blades that looked like grass to the leaves above, he would’ve thought them trees.

“Bard says they grow along the riverbanks,” Dwalin said. “Near the stone jetties. He said with the moisture that runs down the mountain, you shouldn’t have any problems growin’ them here.” He set one of the pots down near the very edge, and Nori followed his example. Ori began to place his alongside his brother’s, and Dwalin quickly took it from him and set it on the edge. Ori rolled his eyes and huffed.

Dwalin ignored him. “Thought this would help, with the edge,” he said. “Now you’ve got a visible line to keep your garden contained in.”

And a very visible wall to keep the edge away from Bilbo’s sight. A swell of emotions pushed past his annoyance of having been intruded upon – again – and instead left him filled with gratitude. “Thank you,” Bilbo said sincerely. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”

Dwalin shrugged. “You said you needed more plants.”

“No, actually, _you_ said that. I believe you thought my garden was ‘paltry’.”

“It _is_ paltry. Not enough greens or vegetables yet.”

Bilbo frowned. “Who said I was planting vegetables?” Not because he wasn’t, because he _was_ , but they were still a small patch of only seeds in the back corner so far. Bombur had given him the seeds from a few of the dishes he’d prepared recently. Bilbo was looking forward to planting the other seeds at a later time, when it was right to plant them.

“Gloin,” Nori said helpfully, but it only left Bilbo all the more confused. What did _Gloin_ know about his garden? “He told Gimli, and Gimli told Tauriel. I think they’ve more plants for you, a few little berry bushes from the forest. I think they just want to come pick fresh fruit so close to the mountain, though.”

“How do they- no, you know what? I don’t want to know. This is my secret garden-“

“Everyone knows,” Dwalin interrupted. Bilbo ignored him magnificently.

“-and I thank you for the plants, I truly do, but no one’s supposed to _know_!” He felt like stamping his foot as he had when he’d been a child. This was ridiculous. His very secret, Bilbo-only type of place, and everyone knew about it. It wasn’t even _finished_. It was like letting guests in when you weren’t even dressed. They were supposed to wait until the garden was finished. _Then_ they could come in.

And thinking of being undressed just made him think of Kili and Fili and Dis’s stories, and he shuddered. “Please tell the others that unless they’re bringing in plants that I’ve requested, I would appreciate just some silence working in the space. It’s not done yet.”

“Of course,” Ori said without hesitation. Dwalin and Nori just looked amused, and Bilbo scowled at them both. Honestly.

Even if the tall green plants went well above Bilbo’s head and covered his view over the edge perfectly. As carefully as he dared, he began placing rocks along the edge to build a small flower bed. Soon there was dirt, and enough of it to plant the grass-like foliage in. They flowed nicely, like the curtains Dis was now engrossed in stitching together, whenever he saw her.

By the time he had them planted, it was nearing supper again, and the sun was starting to sink behind the mountain. He rubbed his arms in the sudden chill and went inside.

 

Kili came next, surprisingly without Legolas. He did, however, come bearing a plant. “What should I get Legolas?” he asked. “You know. For a gift.”

Bilbo frowned. “A gift? For what?”

“Just, you know. For. Well. That.”

Because that made sense. “Whatever would you want to…oh for Eru’s sake, _give_ me that before you poke your eye out.” It was a twiggy little plant, but it would bloom beautifully in the next few weeks, once planted just right. That was, if Kili didn’t hurt himself with the long wooden stalks. “Kili, why do you want to give Legolas a gift?”

Kili muttered something under his breath. “What?” Bilbo asked, leaning in closer.

“It’s been almost a year since the battle,” Kili finally blurted out, taking Bilbo by surprise. “I just want to give him something to say how grateful I am that he stayed, that I love him, and that I’m happy he’s alive and with me.”

It took a moment to really sit and think about it. Bilbo finally set the plant down in a nearby spot of open soil, to better protect the raw roots, and really, had Kili just pulled it straight from the ground to bring it to him?

He shook himself and focused on the real matter at hand. “Don’t pace near my fluttersnaps,” he said absently as he wracked his brain for thoughts. Not really for the answer, mind, but for the words that would give Kili the peace he was obviously looking for. Thinking about the first anniversary of the battle was difficult.

“Fluttersnaps? That’s what they’re called?”

Bilbo looked up and met Kili’s disbelieving gaze. “In the Shire, we call them fluttersnaps,” he said. “They’re more commonly known as snapdragons, but they flutter in the breeze, and their stalks snap about, so we call them fluttersnaps.”

Kili glanced at the plant in question again, then gave Bilbo another look. “Really?” he said dryly.

“You don’t have to get him anything,” Bilbo said gently, and Kili’s wry look faded away. “Just speak to him. That’s all. Tell him how much it frightened you. Tell him how much he means to you.”

“I still want to get him something that will remind him of all that, though,” Kili said. “I just don’t know what.” He sighed and settled onto the ground, though he shuffled away from the fluttersnaps when Bilbo glared at him. “You’re supposed to be helping me.”

“I don’t know _how_ to help you,” Bilbo protested. “Anything you give him will make him pleased. You could give him a ratty towel and Legolas would cherish it because it came from you. Truly, Kili.”

Kili still looked pensive, but his lips at least turned up at the mention of the towel. “Or a handkerchief?” he teased, and Bilbo slapped at his arm with a scowl.

“There is _nothing_ wrong with a handkerchief as a gift. Especially one you’ve made.”

“Of course not.” His shoulders remained hunched near his ears, however.

“Kili.”

“Yes, Uncle?”

“Stop worrying about it.”

Kili nodded, then remained as tense as ever. Bilbo finally let out a heavy sigh. “Look. If you want to show him how much he means to you, you could just _do_ something for him. Take him somewhere nice, have a picnic, spend time together.”

“You think so?” Kili asked.

“I know so. Here,” and he carefully plucked a flower from the nearby plant he’d been given by Ori. One of the long stalks had bloomed, surprisingly, and the flower near the edge was a bright orange. He handed it to Kili, who took it as if he were holding a cracked crystal. “Give that to him. If anyone could appreciate a flower blossom as a token, it would be Legolas.”

Kili flung himself around Bilbo for a quick embrace, then, flower carefully still pinched between two fingers, darted off through the archway with a wave.

Bilbo turned back to his garden and the poor little flower that had most certain been usurped from somewhere else. Well, it was the thought that counted. He began to set about putting the flower in the soil, and hoped he’d at _least_ be able to tend to the vegetable plot in the back before he had _more_ guests.

 

Dori brought tea by two days later and seemed content to stay awhile. Oin came by with Holdred to point out the medicinal herbs that Bilbo had planted. Bombur came to check on the state of his vegetables, which Ori pointedly ignored whenever he stopped by to read in the corner, where the younger scribes couldn’t find him. Hildili came by, all on her own, and Bilbo called Dril to tell Dernwyn just _where_ her daughter was. Still, Lili stayed far from the edge and instead moved about like a little fairy, flitting here and there, sniffing every flower – and vegetable – she could sniff.

Dwalin also came by again, bringing another stalked plant that he actually helped Bilbo plant, insisting the hobbit stay far from the edge. Then he just settled on the ground and stayed there for a bit, almost _relaxing_. After that, Bilbo brought down one of the rugs from his and Thorin’s chambers, to better suit whoever came by to sit and chat. Mostly, it was Dwalin.

It was a steady stream of visitors, after that. Tauriel came by to sit and talk with him about the various bushes they could place along the stones, and the ivy vines Gimli had spotted that they both wanted to place around the archway. Esmeralda came for tea and brought little Merry to introduce him to what a garden was. Merry was quite taken with everything green about him, proving him to be a true hobbit. Bofur enjoyed coming by as well, random conversations flowing between him and Bilbo, with him helping plant things more often than not.

Fili swung by, looking for Dernwyn, but stayed another half hour to just sit and jest with Bilbo. Dori came by with his knitting, fussing about the guilds while Bilbo fussed with his vegetables. Nori and Gloin stopped by once and got their hands dirty with covering up little roots and seemed to enjoy themselves heartily. Even Bifur came by, and he would sit on Dwalin’s rug (or so it was coming to be known as) and just admire the garden in silence.

The garden began to flourish. It grew in leaps and bounds, and soon the plants had taken hold deep into the dirt piles, and everything smelled fresh and glorious. The first vegetables were almost ripe for the picking, and every little moment Bilbo spent in his garden was a luxurious one.

Even if everyone kept coming by at almost every single waking moment. It made it hard to garden sometimes, but the company was less of a deterrent and more of a boon, allowing him to talk to someone instead of the air.

It was…nice. He actually found himself enjoying it.

 

“May I come in?”

Bilbo raised his head from squinting at the dirt. Thorin stood in the lit archway, braids still up in the royal style. He carried with him a torch, and Bilbo suddenly realized how late it had gotten, and how dark it now was. “Have I missed supper?” he asked.

“Just a little,” Thorin said, and that meant he’d missed it a long time ago. Bilbo groaned and sat back, feeling the chill of night now that he wasn’t as focused on his gardening. No wonder he’d been having trouble seeing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get so focused. I wanted to get the next row of thyme in. It’s coming along nicely; I expect I’ll have enough to give Bombur soon.” And that would be nice, since Bombur kept bugging him for herbs _all_ the time.

“So I’ve heard,” Thorin said, and though he smiled, he didn’t sound particularly amused. Bilbo frowned, sitting back on his knees for the first time in hours. His back ached, but it was a good ache, one that meant he’d been working for a long time.

It still didn’t explain the almost cautious expression on his husband’s face. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“Are you?” Thorin asked in return.

Bilbo frowned even more. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I think you do.” It wasn’t said in an accusing tone, but a soft one, and Thorin moved to settle onto Dwalin’s rug. The lantern cast a glow about the garden that almost made it glow. It caught the silver in Thorin’s hair nicely, illuminating every single one of his features. It made him look even more striking than he usually was.

So when Thorin offered him a hand, who was Bilbo to refuse him? He let his husband pull him down, settling between his open legs. With Thorin’s thick trousers and boots buffeting his own legs, it kept his feet warm, and then Thorin took his long cloak and drew it over the both of them. The sudden warmth made him sigh contentedly and lean back against Thorin.

This time, there was most certainly amusement in Thorin’s voice. “You wouldn’t be cold if you’d come inside at the right time instead of hiding out here.”

“I am not _hiding_. I can’t hide, not when everyone keeps coming in at every moment of every day. I didn’t honestly think any of them wanted me to have a garden, and now they’re all here.”

“They’re here because they’re worried.”

Bilbo made a face. “Worried? About what?”

“The same thing I am,” Thorin said quietly. “You.”

Silence fell on the garden as Bilbo tried to puzzle out just what in Eru’s name his husband was talking about. “I’m completely lost, so a bit of help wouldn’t go amiss,” he finally conceded. “Why are you all worried about me?”

“Because you hide out here, every day,” Thorin said. “And the closer we get to the first year anniversary of the battle, the longer you stay out here.”

Bilbo stilled. Thorin continued, “Dwalin was concerned at first. Then Kili, who also shared a discomfort over the memories of a year ago, came to you, and also said that you were wrapping yourself around your plants. The others may or may not have planned out visits to keep you company.”

“I’m not out here all the time,” Bilbo said. “I come in before it gets dark – all right, _most_ of the time, this is the first time I’ve lost track of time – and I’m inside during most of the day until after noon. I’ve been taking more time because the garden _needs_ more time, now. Once I get the flowers where I want them, and the ivy to truly take hold around the archway, and the vegetables on a schedule, then I won’t need to be out here as much. Then I can just enjoy it. But to begin a garden takes time, takes love and nurturing.”

Behind him, Thorin was quiet. Bilbo slowly turned in Thorin’s lap until he was kneeling in front of his husband, still underneath the cloak. In the light of the lantern, Thorin’s concern was obvious to see. “Yes, I don’t like thinking about what happened,” Bilbo admitted. “Eru knows I have my fair share of nightmares from time to time, of you dying, of burying you. But they’re not vivid dreams, like before, they’re just nightmares, my fears. And it doesn’t matter anyway because you’re here, Fili’s here, Legolas is here, and we made it. I tried to tell Kili that: that words matter the most, that he should talk to Legolas. Seems I should’ve been talking to _you_ , too.”

Every word he spoke seemed to lessen Thorin’s tension until he was like the sails on a boat with no wind, hanging loosely. “This is not about the remembrance, then,” he said, if just to confirm.

Bilbo smiled. “Sometimes a hobbit just needs a garden. That’s all. You know, you could have come out here sooner instead of winding yourself up.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you, in case I was part of your worries,” but Thorin looked as sheepish as he sounded.

Bilbo gave him the eye-roll he deserved, earning him a chuckle. After shifting back around, his back to Thorin’s chest, they sat like that for awhile, enjoying the garden by lantern light.

“It looks much better than I had ever imagined it to be,” Thorin said. He pressed a kiss to the tip of Bilbo’s ear. “You have a true gift, beloved.”

“It’s just a garden. I mean, it’s been nice, to work in my own little garden again,” he admitted. “But it’s really just a garden.” The vegetables off in the corner were growing nicely, and the fluttersnaps shifted in the slight breeze. The river stalks near the edge continued to grow, and he’d have to move one of them further down, continuing the green wall. Eventually. Not quite yet. He’d have some time to enjoy the garden for a bit.

“You have brought something up from nothing. You saw a potential and you gave it life. That is not ‘just a garden’, husband of mine.” He wrapped his arms further around Bilbo, and Bilbo sank back into his embrace, smiling at the gentle praise. “Especially when you can do so when everyone comes to bother you.”

“Not everyone’s been out, truly. This is the first time you’ve been out here since I began the garden, and Dis hasn’t been by at all.” Which was strange, since she’d shown such an interest in it.

“That’s because she’s working on a cloth door for you. To better hide your garden.”

Bilbo glanced over his shoulder. “That’s what she’s been working on? I thought it was a banner, some sort of ornament to hang on the walls.”

“No. It’s for you and the garden. Do not tell her I told you: she’ll be annoyed if she discovers I’ve shared her secret.”

Not that it had been that secret: everyone had known about it. He supposed that was fitting, given that everyone knew about his garden. “I’ll act suitably surprised when she gifts it to me, then,” he promised. Thorin chuckled from behind him, and Bilbo closed his eyes, letting himself rise and fall with every one of his husband’s breaths.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Thorin warned. “It’s too cold out here to sleep.”

“Absolutely,” Bilbo agreed, his eyelids already heavy. His fingers were filthy, he had dirt in his hair and he could feel it, and his knees ached a little from having crouched on the stone for so long.

Thorin pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Up with you,” he murmured, and then Bilbo was on his feet, though still wrapped in the coat. “And inside.”

“You should come out here more often,” Bilbo said. “S’nice.” Somehow, they were moving down the hall, which he was highly appreciative about.

“Then I will.”

Then it was Bilbo and the bed and Thorin who didn’t seem to mind his state of dirty, and then sleep was too good to shy away from.

 

It turned out, the platform could fit all of the company on it without falling apart or ruining the garden. Everyone made very approving sounds, and on the whole, it was a very enjoyable afternoon, the day that Bilbo finally opened the garden to those whom he loved.

And across the doorway hung the cloth, with embossed metal at each corner to hold it in place. In the middle was a garden patch, and behind it was a tree with branches intertwining with the plants below.

It was, perhaps, Bilbo’s favorite thing about his garden, besides the numerous kin that was all there with him.

Even if certain members of that family insisted that they were going to help him garden on a regular basis. Eru help him.

_Finis_


End file.
